World Scene: Australia

'Oldest sheep' dies

The world's oldest sheep has died in Australia after succumbing to a record-breaking heatwave that scorched much of the country's southeast, its owner said yesterday.

Owner Delrae Westgarth said Lucky died on Monday aged 23 years, six months and 28 days at the farm in Victoria state where she was born. "We brought her into the shed where she was reared and put air conditioners on her, which kept her going a bit longer," Westgarth told public broadcaster ABC. After reaching almost twice the normal top age for a sheep, which typically have a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, Lucky failed to survive record temperatures for November, which last week soared above 30 C.